HOLLAND MEMORIAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22851, 5 October 1937, Page 3

HOLLAND MEMORIAL

WIDOW'S APPRECIATION RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND EARLY ACTIVITIES RECALLED Sincere appreciation of the action of thousands of the rank and file of the Labour Party in New Zealand in contributing to a memorial to her late husband, Mr. H. E. Holland, for many years Leader of the party, was expressed by Mrs. Holland on her arrival by the Aorangi from Sydney yesterday. Mrs. Holland is to be present at the unveiling of the memorial to her husband at Bolton Street cemetery, Wellington, next Saturday.

It was a comfort to know that Mr. Holland's work in New Zealand had been appreciated, Mrs. Holland said. She had been very happy, while living in Adelaide, to receive a special visit from members of the Waiata Maori Choir, who came to her home and sang their Maori songs to her. This she took as a tribute to her husband's memory and the action was one that had made a lasting impression.

Trials of her early married life were mentioned by Mrs. Holland. She said that the family then lived in Australia, and had many trying experiences. On one occasion her husband was fined for publishing certain comments 011 a mining lock-out, and chose to go to prison instead He was in a keep-yard, the debtors' prison, and it was Mrs. Holland's task, for the first few days of his imprisonment, to walk several miles to the prison with food for her husband.

"I am proud that my husband adhered to his principles throughout his life," Mrs. Holland added, referring to the troublous times they both had experienced as a result of aspects of Mr. Holland's early political activities. She also mentioned her late husband's triumph over ill-health and the aftereffects of ail old injury that made it painful for him even to walk. Since her husband's death Mrs. Holland has made her home in Australia, dividing her time between her two married daughters and three of her sons who live there. She was accompanied on her visit to New Zealand by Mr. F. A. Holland, whose home is in Adelaide. After her arrival yesterday morning Mrs. Holland was entertained by members of the Labour Representation Committee in the Labour Club rooms, where she was presented with a bouquet of red flowers. A bouquet was also presented to Mrs. Holland yesterday by the Mayor and Mayoress, Sir Ernest and Lady Davis.